Kabiru Sokoto Seeks Freedom As Convicted Terrorist Challenges Sentence At Appeal Court

Fresh court documents obtained by Sunday PUNCH revealed that Umar, through his legal representatives, Don Akaegbu & Company, filed a motion dated May 13, 2026, requesting permission to appeal the judgment delivered by Justice A.F.A. Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 20, 2013.

Umar argued that he was wrongly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the application, he asked the appellate court to grant him an extension of time to file his appeal and to recognise the notice of appeal already submitted as properly filed and served.

He was originally convicted on a two-count charge involving alleged facilitation of terrorist activities and failure to disclose information related to a terrorist attack.

His lawyers told the court that the delay in filing the appeal was caused by circumstances beyond his control.

According to the filing, Umar was transferred between several correctional facilities in different states, making it difficult for him to maintain consistent access to legal counsel.

The application also stated that two lawyers previously handling his case died before completing the appeal process.

Part of the court filing read, “The Applicant was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on 20th December, 2013. The Applicant has been continuously incarcerated since then.

“The Applicant was moved across several custodial centres across different states, making access to counsel extremely difficult.”

An affidavit deposed to by Umar’s nephew, Lawal Suleiman, claimed the family only located him in March 2026 at the Maximum Security Custodial Facility in Kirikiri, Lagos.

Suleiman alleged that repeated prison transfers disrupted communication between Umar and his relatives in Sokoto State.

The family further claimed that his health had deteriorated significantly during his years in custody.

The proposed appeal also challenges the legal basis of the conviction.

According to the defence team, the trial court relied on provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Establishment Act instead of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011.

The lawyers argued that the EFCC Act primarily addresses financial and economic crimes and should not have been used as the foundation for a terrorism conviction.

They also questioned the admissibility and voluntariness of Umar’s confessional statement, identified as Exhibit KUKS1.

The defence claimed the statement was allegedly written by an investigating police officer in a question-and-answer format instead of being freely narrated by the defendant.

In an accompanying statement, Umar’s legal team insisted that he was not convicted for masterminding the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.

According to the lawyers, the charges against him related only to alleged prior knowledge of the bombing and failure to disclose the information to authorities.

“The distinction between direct participation and alleged prior knowledge is significant in law and forms a central issue in the pending appeal,” the statement added.

Despite his imprisonment, Umar was reportedly able to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from National Open University of Nigeria.

He is asking the Court of Appeal to nullify the Federal High Court judgment and acquit him on all charges.

The application has already been served on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, although no date has been fixed for hearing the matter.